Jared Vanderaa: New Breed of Heavyweight in a Familiar Package

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Being 6-foot, 4-inches tall, weighing 261 pounds and having a knockout win percentage over 60 percent doesn’t make Jared Vanderaa seem that different on the surface from many of his contemporaries in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division. However, for the man known as “The Mountain,” he believes his stats and size disguise a new breed of heavyweight in a familiar package.

“I think I’m the newer generation of heavyweights. I think heavyweights are finally catching up to the rest of the weight classes. Where it’s not just, ‘oh he’s really good at wrestling [or] oh he’s really good at stand-up.’ I’m a big fan of these guys, so this is not disrespect to them. But at the same time, you look at Alistair Overeem; no one looks at Overeem [and says], ‘oh he’s going to shoot a double-leg.’ They’re all like, ‘he’s going to stand.’ And you look at [Junior dos Santos] and you’re like, ‘he’s boxing.’ Curtis Blaydes? ‘He’s wrestling.’ The closest mixed martial artist is Stipe [Miocic]. He boxes [and] he wrestles. He kind of throws a kick every now and then. Never submitted anybody. But if you look at these lower [in the division] guys, you’re [saying] ‘his stand-up is not horrible.’ [Or] ‘oh sh*t, he double-legged him. Oh, leg locks. Oh, some 10th Planet bullsh*t.’ You’re starting to see that a little more in the heavyweights. But again, you still find those guys that are one-dimensional. Juan Espino. Really good grappler. I just don’t think his hands are amazing. How’s he going to do with one of those guys who has a grappling background that could defend it and still have better hands?”

In his conversation with Sherdog, the Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner talked about being homeless and working three jobs in the early stages of his mixed martial arts journey. Plus, he explained why UFC 256 opponent Sergey Spivak is not a step up in competition for his promotional debut.